Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-09
FIGHT WITH THE DEVIL.


greater part Of his life WAS spent In tn,
bowels of The earth, and when he was OF
its surface he went about with his hea,
bowed and his eyes fixed on the ground
as though he was seeking hole big
enough for him to crawl into and burrow
like mole. as his natural propensity sug
gested. When he was digging well h,
almost lived in it, going down early in tn,
morning, taking his dinner with him ant
staying there all day.
He was a dark skinned. grim old man
with straight black hair, streaked witt
gray, a face peppered over with little blu,
spots-the effects of the premature eXplo
sion of 4 blast-and black eyes that seemed
to avoid the glaring light of the sun.
How he got the name OF Fundy is moi
positively kncwn-for that was not his
real naine-but II may have been bestowed
upon him by some classical wag, who, in
virtue of his occupation. christened him
DE Profundis, which being shortened to
Funds eventually became Fundy.
The negroes regarded him with Q feel
ing somewhat akin TO awe, averring that
he had actually had a peep into his satanic
majesty's dominions, and they we're wont
To say in a mysterious whisper; ''De deb,
bel II git dat ole Fundy yit-allers dig.
gin en- dggin', a tryin' tir git deeper n
deeper. He drap trough some desc days
an fin hese'f in hell. sho."
This idea was rather encouraged by the
fact that the ole man, who seldom had u
word to say TO anybody when he was
above ground, kept up a constant NUT
tering and growing, intermingled with
much profanity, when he got a few feet
beneath the earth's surface. and the
deeper he got the more garrulous and pro
fame he became, which led the supersti
tious darkies To believe that he held con-
verse with the boss devil himself
When he had well TO sink he spent a
day searching over the ground for spot
that he deemed favorable for the purpose.
never adopting the many tricks that well
dicgers generally resort 10 to find water.
as they say, and while he paced slowly
around, stopping now and then and NUT
tering To himself, the negroes, who were
watching him from a little distance,
would say: DE ole black man devil
right onder i'm now; he talkin' ter i'm;
wonner WY he don't tell i'm right of
whar de bes'es' water; reckon dey hei
ter meke n barg'in fus'."
They didn't dare speak to the old man
while be WAS thus engaged. and when he
had selected spot suitable for his pur-
pose, he would mark il witf stake and
60 away, and then they would 90 and lay
their ears on the ground and fancy they
coul1 hear the sound of rushing water
fifty or sixty feet below.
.,Umphr' they would say, ''de debble
he know all bout it, en- he tell i'm wen
he done nleke 'iIl sw'ar somep n-dat
wat it is. De debbel belong ter dat ole
Fundy now. but bimeby he belong ter de
;lebtel, fur sho.''
Exactly three days later the well dig
ger would return at daybreak and begin
work, marking of square and setting
to with pick and spade as if he were going
to penetrate the very center of the globe.
This exact period of three days inter
vening between the choice of ground and
the beginning of labor was another cause
pf superstitious conjecture among the ne
groes.
dat WINS part nv de bargin. Ef he
bergn any sooner ur any later somep'n
cwine ter happ'n ter i'm. Dat de reasin
he wus biowed mp onct-he din'n' keep
ter de bargiu."
Fundy would work away by himself,
and growing as he went down,
until he got too deep TO thrown out the
soil with his spade, aud then he would
rig his windlass and accompanying rope
and tub, and some man belonging to the
place where he was working would assist
him.
He had sunk q well on the plantation
II gentleman living some miles from
A.. Forty feet down he had struck
a vein of good water, and was preparing
10 begin the curbing, the bricks used for
that purpose lying about in piles among
The heaps of clay, stone and other debris
that had been hauled up in the tub.
The negro who was assisting him came,
rs usual, a little after dawn, and was
surprised to find that the old man was
not there.
Il wonner whar dat ole Fundy dis
he said, looking around. Wat
lat,' His ears had caught q peculiar
sound coming, apparently, from the well,
and he went and leaned over it, placing
iis hands on the windlass to support him
self After few minutes listening, My
yawdermightyr he exclaimed, de dei-
bel done got i'm dis time, shO!" and then
ut oh
n little while he returned, accompanied
oy dozen or more other negroes, all talk
ng yeliemently.
Il tell yer de Gebbel done got i'm" said
be who had made the discovery; Il heered
um down dar jis' a-fightin'. Ole Fundy
was cussin' en- de bebbel wus jis' Assay
IN bah-bah-bah.
'.Iiow yer know de debbcl talk dat
lways'- asked one of his comrades.
.''Caze knows he does; amt he got
horns en- hufIs?'
That seemed to settle the question, and
they all approached the we'll, some Of
them leaning over il.
You hear dat!n said the same speaker;
'.jis' list'n! Did anybody uyer hear sich
cussin'g En- jis' list'n ter de dcbbel He
DON kier nuttin' bout he cussiu': reckin
be like 'um-meke 'um tote easy"
My brut.rin.' said one of the darlaies,
who was !, sort Of preacher, '.how of'n hes
I toll yer yer better putt q bride on yer
tongue ur halter round yer neck wen
sc heard yer takin' ther Lawd's name
in vain. Now tuck warnin' by dis here
'sample-dis here ole man, wat S lie or
fullcs' cussin' mau es uver wus. De deb
bel done got i'm now, en- he'll git all on
yer some desc days, sho's yer don rerpent
the. evil NV yer ways"
Just then a prolonged cry of distress
came from the bottom Of the well.
"Durn n.' said the negro who had
brought the others there, Il b'lieve ole
rundy gwine ter whip de sdebbel dis
time
"Dar yer 90, Br'er Isum,n said the
preacher, "a cussin' an a sw arm ut sich
a time es dis, wen de farder Nv lies an
cussin 5 druggip' sinful nortul down
ter hell. He'll come arter you neS' sine,
Br'er Isum-I don spec nuthin' ssse. "
Il wun't a cussin', Br'er Jim," said
Isam Il jis' said durn it, en- dat ain {
cussiII."
wat is it. den, eff 'tain't cussin's"
Il dunno" said lsam, but faint cuss-
in, knows dat"
We'll. 90 on, go on, ;" said the preacher;
t.go on an see wat Satin II call il wen
he come to git yer: ef 'tain't cussin' it's
foolishness, en- dat's jes' es bad"
In the meantime the noise at the bot
tom Of the well had ceased and the negroes
stood in silent awe listening intently.
'.Dey's gone" said one under his breath;
n a Ta.R.